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Hegseth Slams Impeachment Bid as Farce

Updated 6:29 PM ET · 12:55 PM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Politics Desk

In Short: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort against him as a political stunt.

Pete Hegseth holds briefing as impeachment drumbeat continues. CNN

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort against him as a political stunt, calling it a 'farce' and a 'stunt' during a press conference at the Pentagon.

Hegseth, who faces an impeachment resolution introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, argued that the move is driven by 'ego and resentment.' Massie, who lost his reelection bid earlier this year, initiated the effort.

Hegseth compared military losses under his tenure with other historic conflicts, saying some 60,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War, and 37,000 in the Korean War, while only 18 had died during the US-Israel war against Iran.

Hegseth also defended the strikes on purported drug boats, saying each strike had saved 'thousands of American lives.' He stood behind military operations in Iran, Venezuela, and Yemen, describing them as lawful.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Sunday that he supports efforts to impeach Hegseth, marking a significant development in the growing political pressure on the administration.

Representative Thomas Massie launched a bid to impeach Hegseth over his handling of the Iran war and other military actions. Massie argued that Hegseth had acted in a manner contrary to his trust as secretary of defense.

In a defiant tone, Hegseth defended his record in the Trump administration and argued that a successful impeachment effort would jeopardize national security.

Hegseth further argued that impeachment is not a proper remedy for policy disagreements and that his critics should pursue legislation instead.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment,” Hegseth said as he began his Tuesday morning press conference.
• Hegseth said he stood behind military operations in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, describing them as lawful.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is slamming the impeachment effort against him.
• “It’s a farce and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it,” Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon.
• "Didn't work against President Trump and it won't work with me," Hegseth said.
• “In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations,” Hegseth told reporters.

What's still developing

• Although Democrats will hold the majority in the Senate, they are expected to have about 54 seats in the upper chamber of Congress – short of the 67 votes needed to convict and remove Hegseth.
• "We have the votes. We'll dispense with the impeachment gambit," he tells Scripps News.
• Pete Hegseth is facing impeachment, and his response is to blame the media, attack Congress, and hide behind American troops.
• War Secretary Pete Hegseth spent his first press conference since the House began considering articles of impeachment tying its efforts to remove him from his position to attacks on the president and the troops he oversees.
• In a fierce news conference early Wednesday, which began with a chilling warning to reporters that they stay “in line” or be thrown out, Hegseth railed against the outgoing Congressman as “disgruntled” and repeatedly defended his performance.
• WASHINGTON — Republicans are under the gun to pass defense funding during the lame duck session following a crippling loss in midterm elections, but first they’ll have to square off against emboldened Democrats seeking to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and curb the Iran war.
• Before Hegseth took the podium, a security agent warned journalists they could be physically removed if they failed to maintain decorum.
• With a key Republican Hegseth critic, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), announcing Tuesday that he had decided against voting to impeach the secretary due to not supporting all eight articles, Massie said the same day that he would tentatively plan to introduce each article separately.
• Article 6: US lawmakers who said military can 'refuse illegal orders' Article 7: Capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro Article 8: Strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2025 We just heard from Senator Chuck Schumer, who currently serves as Minority Leader in the upper chamber, who unsurprisingly said he'd back an impeachment of Hegseth.
• Hegseth dug in for a congressional fight in his first news conference in months on Tuesday, portraying Massie as a rogue lawmaker and arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes required in the Constitution for his removal.
• Republicans in the House of Representatives have voted to block the articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth from going to the floor for a full vote.

Sources

• Al Jazeeralink
• Breitbartlink
• CBS Newslink
• Defenseonelink
• Englishlink
• Fox Newslink
• Justthenewslink
• NBC Newslink
• Newserlink
• Nypostlink
• Oannlink
• PBSlink
• Politifactlink
• Talkingpointsmemolink
• Thebulwarklink
• Washingtonexaminerlink
• CNN — video link
• FOX 10 Phoenix — video link
• NBC News — video link
• CNN — video link
• FRANCE 24 English — video link
• CNBC Television — video link